I've read that there is a tour at Mojave for like $10,but you stay in the van. If anyone knows how to arrange this I'de like to know. I've been to MJV 3 time and VCV twice. IMHO Mojave is alot more interesting!

Went to VCV once and checked in at the Operations Center. They did not offer tours but they siad that as long as I stayed outside the Fence I could photograph and write down whatever I wanted to. The only tours they offered were to school groups and that was about it. As far as Mojave, have not been there yet. The airport I flew into was LAX and rented a car and made a stop in VCV on the way to LAS. But the easier airport would be ONT, for VCV.

I've heard of people being giving a hard time if they hang around on the internal airport roads (but outside all fenced/restricted/private areas) at MHV.

That said, I was at MHV about a month ago...just went by on a Sunday on the drive home from LA back to the Bay Area (not that much of a detour), and wasn't hassled by anyone. I didn't spend that much time stopped, though, more like driving slowly from one point to another, then I'd hop out of the car and take a few pictures (my fiance was driving and stayed in the car), then hop back into the car and head along a bit farther.

There's also some decent vantage points just from the public roads, and possibly more if you've got a vehicle that can handle dirt roads (we didn't) -- not bad roads, but expect for branches to lightly scratch the paint types of things.

It has been years since I walked around the planes at Mojave, but I just kept a low profile and asked the airport mgr if I could go look at the 880s (when they existed there). They got on the radio and called a guy named Paul who was kind of a guard. Paul escorted me to where I wanted to go. Perhaps he drove me in his little pickup. There were several other craft there too. I stayed about an hour and then I left.

I repeated this on two other occasions as I recall. But with increased interest in doing this, another format might be used today (officially paying a fee and getting a tour, etc).

When I was there in Dec,the road that led down to where the 727's of USAie Shuttle were in Sep was closed. I noticed a sign near that CO 747 that said photoghraphy is prohibited,but,even though I know I was being watched by someone in a white Ranger-I wasn't approached. IMHO,the best vantage spot is by the veteranarian (sp?) office-nice cement block wall around the dumpster where they scrap planes. See my pic's at www.planepics.com and search under 'kerhaert'.
I also got a nice pic of CO DC-10's from the side of the highway!

You can arrange a private visit to either MHV or VCV by calling the airport manager ahead of time and explaining the reason for your visit. If it is legitimate business (and no, spotting does not count), there will be no problems.

The number for the MHV airport manager's office is (661) 824-2433. Dan Sabovich retired last month from that position and was succeeded by Stuart Witt.